Bikepaths are an integral part of the bicycle transportation network,
and these reports are provided to encourage their use by bicyclists who
might otherwise not venture out in the snow, and to encourage their proper
maintenance (which includes snow plowing) by the responsible agencies
given in bold type below. Paths with significant foot traffic
become unskiable within a day, and remain a mess for everyone if they
are not plowed while the snow is still soft.

Last week's snow was totally gone from the paths and streets of Boston by
Wednesday. It started snowing early this morning, and there were around
3 inches on the ground by the time I shoveled our walks at 7:15 am. It
kept snowing all morning, though not especially heavily. Congratulations
to the City of Boston, which had the Jamaicaway path cleared by 9:30 and to
the Division of Conservation and Recreation, which had a SnowCat out
on the Charles River Bikepath in Cambridge after 9:00.

Please send updates and reports on the conditions of other paths in
Massachusetts to Doug Mink
dmink@massbike.org.

Arnold Arboretum1.5 miles of park roads which are mostly closed to automobile traffic
with no intersectionsBoston Parks and Harvard University

The park roads were plowed to packed powder by the time I went through,
shortly after 9:00 am. You need to watch your speed
at the hairpin turns at both bottoms of Bussey Hill. The Bussey St.
and main Arborway entrances were open and clear, but it is likely that
the other unplowed entrances will be a slog.

Arborway "Bike Lanes"Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation1 mile of wide paved shoulder which is unmarked but usually clear of
parked cars during rush hourBoston Parks and Harvard University

I'll check this on the way home, but it was clear near the crosswalk
Thursday morning.

This path was plowed by the time I biked through on Thursday morning.
The Pine Bank bollards were removed during the day on Monday!,
so the only problems were some (but not all) of the curb cuts at
intersections. I slipped off the path just uphill from Willow Pond Ave.,
where the plow missed part of the path on a turn, and went down. I didn't
land on my cell phone or camera, and the snow was soft, so nothing was
damaged.

Olmsted Park Paths3/4-mile of mostly bike/ped-separated paths built over Riverdale Road,
across Leverett Pond from the Jamaicaway.Brookline Park Department

This path was unplowed but bikable at 9:30 on Thursday morning. I was
surprised that Brookline hadn't plowed it yet, and expect it to be clear
by the evening commute.

B.U. Bridge

The west sidewalk was unplowed Thursday morning at 9:30, but it should be
plowed by evening.

Charles River BikepathNarrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersectionsDepartment of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation

When I looked from the B.U. Bridge, the path was unplowed, but as I was
about to ride around the rotary and get on Memorial Drive outbound, I spotted
a DCR SnowCat coming toward me down the path. I followed its track all the
way to Harvard Square, and the path looked clear at least to the Eliot Bridge.
I don't know about the Boston side or the rest of the Cambridge side.
Let the DCR know you appreciate their plowing the path at
their feedback web page.

J.F.K. ParkWide, shared bike-ped path from river to Harvard SquareDepartment of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation

This path was plowed well, as it almost always is. I think Harvard does
the plowing, but I'm not sure. Anyway, it's safer to ride that the
extremely rough surface of JFK Boulevard and bypasses Harvard Square
if your headed north or west of it like me.